Washing machine stand



Feb. 13, 1940. B. A. BENSON 2,190,623

msnme MACHINE STAND Filed May e, 1958 I: I 36 llll INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented F eb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE 1 Claim.(01248-1150 The present invention relates to a stand for a an applianceand more particularly to a washing machine stand.

The presentinvention more specifically comprehends the provision of acombination washing machine and supporting stand for positively engagingthe washing machine and supporting it in predetermined position abovethe floor, the washing machine and stand being physically separable 1 bymerely lifting the machine from the stand, but providing a firm,adequate and rigidly supported unit when interconnected. Machines forwash-' .ing clothes and the like have heretofore conventionallycomprised relatively bulky parts, requiring a large amount of permanentstorage space anddemanding a permanent support which will elevate theoperative parts above the floor a convenient distance for control by theoperator. It is an object of the present invention toprovide acombination as above, employing a relatively compact washing machine andcollapsible stand, which stand is capable of being folded so that allthe parts thereof reside in a substantially flat plane and accordinglyoccupy but a relatively small space for storage in a closet or any otherconvenient place in the home.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsiblestand as above, having portions extending upwardly about the washingma-3G chine to center the same, the upwardly extending portions cooperatingwith rubber or other soft or resilient frictional means to provide acushion contact with the machine for the purpose of preyen-ting damageto the surface finish thereof. a

35 Still more specifically the present invention comprehends theprovision of a combination collapsible stand and washing. machinewherein the latter element of the combination is a washing machine ofthe type having a drive means, such as a motor, mounted thereon. Devicesof this class, and particularly those having drive means mountedcentrally or axially thereof, normally in operation result in thecreation of forces due to the reaction of the drive means and the agi-Q5 tating eiiect of the washer, which tend to rotationally shift themachine and to disengage it from its support. tendency to cause manytypes of collapsible stands to fold or collapse during operation of thema- 5 chine, with obviouslyuniortuna'te results. I

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a standwhich while being freely collapsible to a substantially fiat unit,nevertheless comprises resilient supporting means engag- 55 mg thewashing machine for supporting and pochine stand constructed inaccordance With-the These forces may also have a sitioning the machine,the resilient supports being frictionally active so that when thewashing machine is operatively positioned thereon a suflicientfrictional resistance will beset up to prevent the 7 machine from movingor creeping with respect to 5 the stand, the frictional interengagementalso tending to lock the stand to the machine to the extent ofpreventing unauthorized collapse of the stand. I Among the additionalobjects of the present 1%) invention are to provide a folding stand asabove, which is light in weight, yet durable and simple to manufacture,and a washing machine stand which is adapted frictionally to engage thelioor so that it will not shift or creep under the influ l5 ence of theforces setup in service.

Numerous other objects, advantages and inhe ent functions of theinvention will become 1113- parent as the same is more fully understoodfrom the following description when taken in connec- 20 tion with theaccompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a Washing mapresent invention; a 25 Fig.2 is a perspective view the same asli'ig. 1, showing the parts of thestand folded or collapsed to-a relatively flat position;

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view showing a washing machineoperatively supported upon the i stand;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

i Fig; 5 is a detail perspective view showing the juncture and manner ofinterlocking of the relatively movable portions of the stand; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken on the line (s-s of Fig. 5.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, wherein the presentinvention is illustrated in detail, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate an assemblycomprising a preferred illustrative stand constructed, in accordancewith the present invention. This stand comprises in general a pair ofleg sections l0 and [2, respectively, pivoted together by means ofpivots i4 and I6. Each of the leg sections comprises a pair ofupstandingtubular members i8 providing legs for the stand and beingjoined by transversely extending straps 28 and 22, re-

spectively. It will be noted that the ends of 5 the strap members areengaged by machinebolt fastening means 26 passing through suitablealined apertures in the tubular-leg members I8, as clearly shown in Fig.4. In accordance with this construction, therefore, the machine bolts 26secure each pair of legs l8 and transverse members 20 together as aunit. Additional means is provided for rigidifying each supporting legsection and comprises angle members 28 formed of a strap of metal havingits ends bent as at 30 and 32 to lie against the surface of the legmembers l8 and the upper surface of the transversely extendingconnecting straps 22, respectively. The upper connecting portion 30 isfastened to the respective leg l8 by means of a machine bolt 34, whereasthe lower connecting portion 32 is interconnected with the strap 22 bymeans of a rivet 36. The relatively pivotal leg sections areinterengaged, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with one leg sectionhaving its upper transversely extending strap 20 arranged above thecorresponding strap 20 on the other leg section, but having its lowerstrap 22 below the strap 22 of the other leg section.

The pivots M and [6 may comprise rivet members 38 so applied as toprovide predetermined frictional engagement between the respective legsectionsin order to maintain the parts firmly together, while permittingmanual adjustment to the desired relative position. It is to be notedthat the lower transversely extending strap 22, see Fig. 6, is deformedupwardly about the region of the rivet 38, as at Ml, to provide anembossment, for the purpose of providing a carefully predetermined areaof frictional contact between the members 22 which are accordinglynormally spaced a small vertical distance in all relative positions. Theupper transversely extending straps 2!] are pivoted together in the samemanner, as a result of which the leg sections [0 and I2 while beingfirmly secured together for relative rotation, are nevertheless freefrom any possibility of binding or any other troublesome and undesiredinterengagement which might interfere with the facility by which theparts may be normally either operatively engaged or folded.

Stop means for determining the extended operative position of the legsections is shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6 and comprises a clip 42of U-shaped section having short, upstanding side walls 44 terminatingat opposite ends in elevated tabs or projections 46. Attention isdirected to the fact that each of the tabs is provided with a forwardlyextending finger 48 extending toward the central portion of the strap 22to which they are attached, and spaced from the upper edge of thecorresponding upwardly extending wall 4% to provide rectangular groovesor notches 5B; It is important to note that this stop clip member 12 ismounted centrally of the lowermost transversely extending strap 20 bymeans of welding, not shown. The upwardly extending walls 44 terminatesubstantially at the level of the upper surface of the lowertransversely extending strap 22 just mentioned, so that the upper strap22 pivoted thereto may be rotated to move freely thereover and'to beguided into the grooves .or notches 50 formed by the guide fingers 28.When relatively arranged in this position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6,each pair of straps 29 and 22 will be arranged substantially at rightangles to provide a four-legged stand.

If it is desired to collapse or fold the stand, the leg sectionindicated by the numeral l2 may be rotated in a clockwise direction withrespect to the other legsection it to bring the assembly to the positionshown in Fig. 2, wherein the parts all lie in a substantially flatplane.-

All of the tubular leg members 18 are enclosed at either end by means ofrelatively soft or resilient buffer members 52 having corrugatedinternal surfaces 54 adapted to frictionally grasp the surface of thetubular members to retain the latter securely in place. It will be seenthat the lower members '52 provide foot portions for the legs l8. Thesefoot portions are of great importance, since they mount and position thestand fixedly with respect to the floor, regardless of the vibration orinertia forces set up in the operation of the washing machine to bedescribed hereinafter more in detail. The upper transversely extendingstraps 20 serve to directly support the washing machine, as shown moreclearly in Fig. 3, and to this end have mounted on their upper surfacesthe resilient buffer members 56, secured in place by machine screws 58.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, a washing machine, indicated generally bythe reference numeral 60, may be positioned directly upon the resilientbufier supports 56. Theparticular washing machine shown in Fig. 3 forpurposes of illustration comprises a relatively portable structure ofthe type disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 175,450,filed November 19, 1937. This construction comprises .a cylindrical tubor container 62 adapted to contain the articles to be washed, and acover 66 having the driving mechanism mounted thereon, as at $6. It willbe understood that an agitator or equivalent means, not shown, isarranged interiorly of the container 62 to produce an automatic washingaction. Devices of this class, being relatively light, may be prone todisplacement under the influence of forces set up by the reaction of themoving parts and the agitating eifect of the washer. In accordance withthe present invention, however, it will be seen that the washing machine60 is firmly p c-- sitioned within the space between the upper ends ofthe vertical leg members 18. The side walls of the machine, however, arespaced from the legs it by the resilient buffers 52 on their upper endsso that at no time can the surface of the machine be brought intocontact with the relatively hard portions of the stand to damage thesurface of either of the structures. When positioned as shown in Fig. 3,the container 62 can not be displaced sidewise in any direction withrespect to the stand. It is accordingly at all times rigidly positionedand spaced a predetermined distance from the floor.

When it is desired to disassemble the parts for storage, the washingmachine may be freely physically separated by merely lifting the tubvertically upwardly away from the stand. The washing machine 60, asdisclosed in my aforementioned copending application, may then be storedin a space substantially no greater than that occupied by the outercontainer or tub '62, while the stand may be folded to the positionshown in Fig. 2 and conveniently located in a closet or any otherstorage space.

Attention is directed to the fact that when the stand is operativelypositioned with respect to a washing machine for support thereof,inadvertent folding or collapsing of the stand is impossible, due to thefrictional engagement of the resilient members 52 and 56 with thesurface of the container S2. In other words, it is contemplated inaccordance with the present invention that the members and. 56 comprisea resilient material, such as rubber, for example, having frictionalproperties, so that when firmly contacted with a fixed surface they willremain in prearranged spaced position.

comprising a pair of leg sections having spaced,

The present invention provides a washing machine assembly'which rigidlyand securely supports the washing machine during use but which may bereadily disassembled to occupy very little space. While for purposes ofillustration the present invention shows the employment of a particularform of washing machine, it will be apparent from the above disclosurethat various other washing machines and appliances of this class may beemployed in substantially the same manner.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificingany of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all suchchanges as fairly fall within the scope of the following claim.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

In a stand for a portable washing machine parallellegs joined at pointsspaced a substantial distance from the extremities thereof by transversely extending frame members, pivot means interconnecting said framemembers for permitting relative rotational movement of the sections froma folded position wherein the sections reside in a generallyfiat planeto an expanded position, said frame members forming a support for themachine with leg extensions projecting thereabove; means for engaging awashing machine placed thereon to hold the said sections in saidexpanded position comprising resilient cap members embracing saidextensions of said legs, each of said cap members projecting a,substantial distance laterally of the leg to frictionally engage themachine for holding the frame against relative rotational displacement.

BERNHART A. BENSON.

